Near East Report - December 17 2010

As recently published State Department cables show, Israel is not the only country in the Middle East that is worried about Iran. View a slideshow with quotes from Arab leaders.Sources: New York Times, Washington Post and Washington Times

Despite the many changes brought about by the 2010 midterm elections, the incoming 112th Congress is expected to be the most pro-Israel Congress ever. Many of Israel’s strongest supporters were reelected. In this edition, Near East Report profiles one-third of the new House members. READ MORE

The United States will work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to help narrow the gaps between them, and may ultimately offer what it calls “bridging proposals” in order to enable the parties to reach an agreement on particulars. Secretary Clinton explained the new U.S. approach in a Dec. 10 speech. READ MORE

The biggest forest fire in Israeli history was extinguished on Dec. 6, 82 hours after the blaze broke out on Mount Carmel, near Haifa. To help Israel put out the fire, the United States sent critical assistance, including the Evergreen Supertanker, the largest firefighting aircraft in the world. READ MORE

Near East Report recently sat down with Lebanon expert Mara Karlin to ask her about the complicated political scene in Beirut. In part one of this two-part interview, Karlin discusses the future of pro-Western factions, the strength of Hizballah and the thinking behind U.S. policy. READ MORE

E-ISSN 1947-4458
Published biweekly except when Congress is out of session by The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Funded in part by the American Israel Education Foundation, the charitable organization affiliated with AIPAC.

Despite Iran’s bravado, the Islamic Republic remains dependent on outside materials to keep its nuclear program operating. Still, that is no reason to stop worrying about the Islamist theocracy’s nuclear ambitions. Someday—and someday soon—Iran could be self-sufficient. READ MORE